TX Capital Punishment Laws Do Not Violate Establishment Clause

In Roach v. Dretke, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19697 (USDC ND Texas, Sept. 9, 2005), a federal district judge rejected arguments that the Texas capital punishment laws violate the Establishment Clause. The court held, however, that there were a number of secular purposes for the law. It said that where proponents of the death penalty did cite the Bible, it was in response to quotes from the Bible by those opposed to capital punishment.